The truth about a complex built for veterans and the middle class and how it has evolved through the years to become one of the more interesting and controversial of New York stories.

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Management has two priorities: 1) Making sure money is made, hence upgrading and filling up apartments is their goal. "Amenities" are important in selling the place, though few residents use them. 2) If someone needs medical attention, Public Safety will be there, if alerted.

Quality of life issues are not that important, however. Things like the carpet rule or outsider dogs. These "rules" tend to be ignored, on purpose it seems. So you will see a lot that isn't taken care of properly, and complaints will be met with a creative excuse and a smile.

"Peace and quiet" must be a cruel joke, though this property is sold that way. There can be no peace and quiet as ALL apartments must be upgraded, which includes the installation of an AC unit below the window. Aside from the continual construction about the neighborhood, there is a new and noisy subway extension being built along East 14 st and the shut down of the L line. "Choosing" to live in NYC, now the newest mantra, is a fabrication when the talk is of ST and PCV, which was traditionally quiet, with no construction noise.

Though money was always important, it is now more important than ever. Money rules many things, as you will find.

At this point, 30 years into living here and seeing many things, I can state that Management and their reps are BS-ing us. I can't say that loudly enough: We are being BS-ed. I don't see any genuine change, though the "selling" of this place is intense. Few of the "rules" will be enforced, as Management doesn't want to lose customers or potential customers. Where personal integrity is a hallmark of an excellent management style, this integrity is not seen in enforcing some of the rules.

About those "club cars" we see going this way and that way, and outside of Stuy Town or Peter Cooper Village:

Friday, July 22, 2016

Not moderating, but....

Just a note: This morning I saw dog crap on the way to Lenzi's, and more than one area near the Oval Fountain of dog crap (plural). And three bicycles running around the Oval. Just in a few minutes.

Oh, I also saw Rick smiling the other day.

11:35am. Now a mound of dog crap near Oval Amenities. Did I say I love this place?

5:15pm. John, it's nice posting photos on the TA Facebook that have nothing particular to do with STPCV; it gives you something to do when you are no longer (?) president of the TA; but could you also post photos of Hillary and her Democratic buddies (like your friend Dan) who are also getting money from big real estate concerns in New York?

7:40am Saturday. Rick, I think you better get the sand-blasters over at the Oval Fountain. More graffiti spotted on a bench. Also the area hasn't been cleaned in a while. The Oval Lawn looks fabulous by the way. A bit sparse here and there (the sun will do its thing), but overall the tenants and their "guests" will not mind.

2pm Saturday. You "wouldn't believe" what I'm seeing. Well, if you know this place, maybe you would. Now with Safety out there, it still is a free for all on bicycles. If the bicycle riders don't want to stop (and there were 3 of them joined up in one Oval rounding), how are you going to stop them even if you have a Public Safety badge on? I supposed you could try to stop them...or that one guy who whizzed past two Public Safety officers! But it's a foolish game unless management wants to pay for your hospital bill and have lawyers go after the offender or offenders. You lose.

Nice job, btw, on the Oval Lawn, Rick. I think I said that already, but it bears repeating.

2:10pm Saturday. Domino's. Two of them on bicycles going round the Oval. You know the company, you know the store (on 14th, near Stuy Town). You have the offenders on this one, and now it's up to you.... Make that three. Another just passed me by.

11:20am Sunday. Just a note that I do read the comments. As to getting this place "better," right now I can't try and try again. Maybe it's just me, but I'm very pessimistic and I don't think that many in higher places are helping at all; some are actually against us ... at least they let things slide.

11:30am Sunday. Ah, to be young again...and enjoy hot, humid weather on the Oval Lawn, basking in the sun!

3:50pm Sunday. So a bro and a bro-ette are tossing around a football inside the Oval Lawn, very close to the Public Safety office. I had to check, so I did: the signs say, entering the Oval Lawn, no "active play," which I guess means no ball playing. Of course we, as long-time residents, know that, but.... Now what's funny also is that they are playing so close to the Public Safety office. So far, no one is coming out. And it's at least 10 minutes that I noticed. And you wonder why I love this place.

BTW, a good number of bicycles going around the Oval, on the side that's away from the Green Market. No one is stopping them, because there is no Public Safety officer who I see. I do see, twice in 15 minutes or so, a Stuy Town golf cart going around. Why walk when you can ride!

There really should be "senior service," as in golf carts going around the complex just for seniors. These poor guys and gals are walking in the heat, and I feel sorry for them. If it's good enough for Stuy personnel, it's good enough for these seniors, don't you think? Some of them may be vets or have been married to a vet. And, yes, I heard about the lack of an after-hours' cooling center in the community building!

9:15am. Monday morning. To the question of if I will let the comments through, they take more time, which I don't have, and I'm sure I have the new management's number by now, and you do, too. They, management, will make certain things better and make certain things worse. Yesterday I saw with my own eyes a Public Safety officer on a moped turn purposefully away from two bike riders around the Oval because he didn't want them to stop, for whatever reason.

So what you hear, if you're absent from the Oval, is part bull and management should know this. Oh, and the "graffiti" still hasn't been cleaned from the Oval Fountain area. (But the Oval Lawn is pruned weekly.) And Domino's is still bike riding around the Oval if they can get away with it.

So this is the way it is. And this will remain. Dogs in Stuy Town and Peter Cooper? Let's bring them on and not care too much about size or breed requirements and crap/piss on the sidewalks. We can clean it up, maybe. Bicycles around the Oval? Sure, as long as you are not seen or acted upon. The recycle area in your building? Where do think all that has to go?

12:30pm. Monday: "Peter Stuyvesant". I may as well spread the news: "Community Center hours will be extended until 10 p.m. Monday and Tuesday
due to the extreme heat. If you don't have A/C or know someone who
doesn't and needs relief, please spread the word."

3:15pm. Monday. What bicycles? On the Oval. Two bikes passing by, quite openly, a Public Safety officer on a moped. "All clear, chief."

10:15am. Wednesday. Nice write-up by Bruce on TA Facebook's page. Check it out before it sinks. Where I disagree is that I think it's is way past the time of bringing anything really decent back. The object here is to make money, so the student body will continue. And the dogs.... I passed several little crap spots in Peter Cooper and Stuy Town. New ones and old ones already turning color so they can't be seen. The people that are happy are because don't know what it was like. Ignorance is bliss.

7:15am. Friday. From Rick:"With everyone's help, StuyTown-PCV will continue to be New York City's clean and quiet oasis." He must travel a different beat than I.

9:30am. Friday. I'm going to ask for a respite from this blog. I've completely lost interest in this complex. The bull that these new owners is telling us (aside from some of the good) is depressing, and I don't want to be depressed. You know what the story is, nobody has to tell you. Dogs, bicycles, scooters, crap on the ground, overflowing garbage/recycle areas, 4+ thousand dollars "rent-stabilized" apartments, messy laundry spaces, bs-ing, loud neighbors for some, it's all here and will remain that way. If it changes, let me know.

No comments:

Until There Is Silence No More

The Tenants Association and our councilman Dan Garodnick have mysteriously remained silent about a purported incident that occurred on July 12: the mugging by a group of individuals of someone right by Peter Cooper Village, along 20th Street.

The TA is basically done. Tenants can complain, but any action is negligible. The TA is effectively dead.

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"We'll be introducing a new process to identify registered dogs thus enabling Public Safety Officers to clearly approach offending dog owners. The registration will hang from the leash handle; clearly identifying the dog as registered.

"If the dog is not registered by May 1; a summons will be issued at the point of contact. If we learn the dog owner is not a resident, they will be escorted off the property."

Rick Hayduk, CEO and General Manager of PCVST. Letter to Barry Shapiro, February 2016.

STR here: I have been around since the inception of this dog policy and I have NEVER seen anyone escorted out of ST or PCV with their non-lanyard dog. But I have seen, many times, a dog owner from outside, and his/her dog, casually walking through ST or PCV.

THINKING of Renting in PCVST?

Read Yelp reviews to find out what it's like living here. Please note: All apartments are currently "rent-stabilized" but that doesn't prevent apartments from going up to 4K to 6K a month and even higher. How does this happen? Ask our politicians! Fact: Now less than half of the complex's apartments have the old rents and it's getting worse year by year--or better if you are the Real Estate Board of New York!

The Other Yelp Reviews

Yelp can be tricky and bounce reviews for a variety of reasons, like being a member and posting just one review. Very often, however, these reviews hold important truths about what's being reviewed. READ THESE TOO.

BICYCLES, MOPEDS, SCOOTERS, ETC.

Of course, "private property" but "public access" - whatever that means! And if a part of it is public access, do the rules of the city apply to our roads and sidewalks? Or does anything give because this complex is "private property"? Who comes here in case of a fire in one of our buildings? The Stuy Town Fire Brigade?

Hint: Look both ways if you are in the complex. Look on the ground, too!

61.03 Control of dogs and other animals to prevent nuisance. (a) A person who owns, possesses or controls a dog, cat or other animal shall not permit the animal to commit a nuisance on a sidewalk of any public place, on a floor, wall, stairway, sidewalk, lawn, garden or roof of any public or private premises used in common by the public, or on a fence, wall [or], stairway or entranceway of a building abutting on a public place

Banned & Oversize Dog Breeds in Stuy Town

Looks like there is some difficulty in enforcing the ban on certain dog breeds allowed inside Stuy Town/Peter Cooper Village. Somehow pitbulls and pitbull mixes have been registered in STPCV and are allowed to be freely walked about the grounds! Registered dogs in the complex are max 50 pounds. Total, if there is more than one! More than two, it's illegal. It's going to get worse, and, face it, Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village will never be like it once was.

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Read it and Weep

Current Value of ST/PCV

Was 5.4 Billion Dollars when Tishman Speyer bought the place.Became 1.7 Billion Dollars when Tishman Speyer left, with their tail between their legs. Of course, tenants now have to make up the loss.

Ex-landlord

Rob Speyer

1947 Stuy Town Plaque Honoring Met Life Chairman F.H. Ecker (Removed in 2002 and never seen again)

"... who with the vision of experience and the energy of youth conceived and brought into being this project, and others like it, that families of moderate means might live in health, comfort and dignity in park-like communities and that a pattern might be set of private enterprise productively devoted to public service."

I am writing on behalf of everyone at Tishman Speyer to express how honored we are to become part of your outstanding community. We are a business with deep roots in New York, a true love of our city and a great respect for the neighborhoods that make it special. We are committed to maintaining the unique character and environment that have made Peter Cooper Village and Stuyvesant Town such a wonderful place to live for so long. We look forward to providing you an extraordinary level of service and attentiveness that will be the source of pride and satisfaction for the entire community.

Neighborhood Recommendations

New to Stuy Town/Peter Cooper Village? Here are some basic recommendations.

Best supermarket: Associated on 14th St. between 1st Ave. and Ave A. The cheapest prices, fantastic weekly sales, very affordable lunches; solid, responsive management, but earthy. Some of the young female cashiers have attitude to spare, though. May be too far for Peter Cooper residents.

Best gym: Don't waste your money on the Oval Fitness Gym. Instead go to the earthy but real Asser Levy Recreational Center, right above 23rd St on Asser Levy Place (near the FDR Drive). $75 for a year's membership; seniors are almost free. Contains seasonal indoor and outdoor swimming pools, ping-pong table, two pool tables. Called by some rich people who wouldn't get caught going there "the prison gym," and you know why.

A Stuy Town favorite is Lenz's on 20 St. between the 20 St. Loop. The way New York used to be. Be careful of unwanted "pepper" in your food, however. Lenz's got a B grade rating and was temporarily closed down due to an order from the Health Department. Bruno's on First Avenue is more upscale, with a greater selection of food items (higher-priced, too), but was closed down temporarily by the Health Department. Stuy Town's own cafe was closed, too! And not because of all the dogs that hover and piss outside.

Gracefully has two locations, but we prefer for its size the one on 1st Ave. Prices are high and reflect the new tenants that are currently renting Stuy Town and Peter Cooper apartments. ("Do you have a credit card?") We like Gracefully's lunch specials, which are somewhat affordable.

I priced the CVS on 1st Ave near 14st. The non-aerosol hairspray was 20 cents above CVS' own website price, and one of the highest in NY. (Yes, I have hair.) You can save at least a dollar or more buying at another place. So beware. Look around for a better deal on all your items.

I love warm Quaker Oats in the morning. Gristedes is not the place to get it, nor is Associated, though their price is less. Look around!

Macular Degeneration Support Group

If you are currently diagnosed with Macular Degeneration, the New York Eye & Ear Infirmary is offering a support group for you. Conveniently located next to the Peter Cooper Village Stuyvesant Town apartment complex, our group offers the opportunity to share stories with other members, listen to expert guest speakers, and learn coping strategies to reduce stress. Our group runs on the first Wednesday of every month and we would enjoy seeing you there.
Please contact Baptiste Nicolas, Social Work Assistant at 212-979-4105 for further information and to see if this group is right for you!